


A Little Encouragement

by useyourtelescope (thedreamygirl)



Category: Cranford - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 17:53:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5465573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedreamygirl/pseuds/useyourtelescope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary has no reason to expect her time at home in Manchester will fare any better than it normally does, until a chance encounter gives her one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Encouragement

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leidolette](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leidolette/gifts).



> Happy holidays, Leidolette! I love this series and really enjoyed revisiting it, and I hope you like this fic.  
> Many thanks to my beta. This is set sometime in the future after the first Cranford series, Return to Cranford doesn't apply.

“I do wish you had worn the blue gown, Mary dear. It gives your eyes a bit of colour.”

Mary resisted the urge to clench her hands in irritation, since that would have been unfair on her siblings whose hands were clasped in her own, but it took some effort. Of course, being in the company of her stepmother for a prolonged period of time always took a great deal of effort. It was one of the reasons Mary spent so much time in Cranford, but recently she had returned to Manchester to help while her father was away. “We are only going berry picking, Mama, and the party is not so very large. This gown is perfectly acceptable.”

“’Perfectly acceptable’ gowns do not attract eligible bachelors, Mary.”

“I didn’t think there would be any eligible bachelors in attendance today, now that Mr. Fowler is engaged and the other men all accompanying their wives,” she said, casting her eye around the field. They were still waiting for some of the party to arrive, including Mr. Fowler. Mary barely knew him, but her stepmother had sent all the details of his engagement in a recent letter to Cranford. Mary had related the story to Miss Matty so she remembered it well, and she found it surprising that her stepmother, who considered herself something of an expert matchmaker (though only the Lord knew why), wouldn’t know the exact number of unattached young men in attendance. 

That could only mean one thing, Mary thought, glancing to her left in time to catch her stepmother looking away, with decidedly too much interest in the leaves of the tree they were standing under.

“Mama?” Mary prompted, trying to keep her tone even.

“Mr. Fowler is indeed engaged,” she replied, making a show of fixing little Margaret’s ribbon. “However, when Mrs. Barker and I met him last week he was with a few of his unmarried friends. Apparently they will all be attending today, so I mentioned you would be as well.”

“Mama!” Mary exclaimed.

“If you are going to insist on calling me that – despite our very slight age difference – the least you could do is refrain from raising your voice.”

“You made no mention of this before,” Mary said in a lowered, though no less vexed, tone. Two of her siblings giggled in response, but they immediately stopped when she looked warningly at them. She knew her reaction was a little childish, but sometimes she could not contain her frustration at her stepmother’s efforts to marry her off. 

“I did not believe you would attend if I had, Mary, but now we are already here and you can hardly expect me to take care of all the children on my own.”

Mary looked at the ground as she tried to contain a sigh, and saw Ralph had let go of her hand in order to kneel down and taste the grass. From the amount still smeared over his face, he appeared to have rather liked it. 

“Ralph, stop that.” Mary bent down and began to wipe his face and hands with her handkerchief as the boy mumbled an apology.

“Do not attack poor Ralph’s face so, you will make him look very red.” 

“Better that than green, surely,” Mary replied as she finished dabbing him clean and stood up. 

“Mary, there is no need to look so very cross. One of them professed to have met you before so it is I who should be cross that you never mentioned him. Here,” she added, presenting Mary with her newest sibling, who was prone to crying if not shown enough attention so Mary took her without argument.

Once the child was settled against Mary’s shoulder she lifted her head to ask her stepmother the name of this supposed acquaintance. However, Mary was interrupted by her cheerful announcement, “Well, it is not quite as good as the blue gown, but a baby really does make you look much more amiable. Perhaps if we could just add a ribbon to your bonnet –“

“No!”

Her stepmother’s expression froze for a moment before she schooled her features back into a practiced, pleasant smile for the benefit of their nearby audience. “Very well. Wait here while I speak to Mrs. Barker for a minute.” She departed with most of the children, leaving Mary in charge of only Ralph and the baby, which she supposed she should be thankful for. Mary rethought that when Ralph decided he couldn’t wait for the berries and resumed digging at the ground. 

“Ralph!” Mary chastised, trying to pull him upright, though she found it a little harder now that she was also holding the baby. 

Ralph pouted as he stood up again, dangling his arms by his sides with his hands held slightly upwards, something his mother had clearly instructed him to do previously. If she wasn’t already fatigued at the idea of spending the rest of her trip, let alone her day, in the same manner Mary would have laughed at the care Ralph was taking not to let the dirt touch his clothes when he hadn’t been concerned about it touching his mouth. 

Mary sighed and reached for her handkerchief again, but the clasp on her purse proved difficult to open one-handed. 

“May I be of any assistance?”

Mary looked up in surprise, though she recognised his voice before she laid eyes on him. “Dr. Marshland!” 

“Miss Smith,” he replied, a pleasant smile on his face. “Miss Smith,” he repeated with a nod of his head, this time to the youngest Smith who was staring at him wide-eyed with her thumb in her mouth, while Ralph laughed. 

Mary bit back a smile.

“May I?” he asked, gesturing to Charlotte. The child showed no hesitation so Mary allowed him to pick her up, freeing her hands so that she could quickly undo the clasp on her purse and remove her handkerchief. Mary felt a slight embarrassment at the dirt already on it, but she wordlessly took to cleaning Ralph’s hands while she gathered her thoughts. 

She had met Dr. Marshland in Cranford many times since Dr. Harrison and Sophy’s wedding, but always at large social gatherings. Although most of Cranford, including herself, had forgiven the terrible business of the valentines, to the extent that she had felt comfortable renewing her correspondence with him, there were some – Miss Pole, in particular – who would never forget the incident and it had never seemed appropriate to entertain him in Miss Matty’s home. 

Of course, he had never asked to call on her either, so perhaps their current friendship was all that he desired. Still, there had been some occasions, particularly during their last meeting, when Mary had felt certain he had wished to speak to her for longer, to ask her something more, if only she had given him a little encouragement. 

Needless to say, Mary had never done such a thing…but she would be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t considered it. 

“I did not realise you were going to be here today, Dr. Marshland.”

“Ah, but I knew you would be attending, Miss Smith. Your stepmother made certain to mention it when I saw her in town last week.”

Mary grimaced a little as she stood back up, which only seemed to make Dr. Marshland’s grin widen. “I’m afraid my stepmother only informed me of your meeting this morning.”

“I did mention it in my last letter, but perhaps you have not received it yet.”

“No, it must have arrived after I left Cranford. I have been in Manchester five days now.”

“And already counting the days until you go back?” he asked. Mary couldn’t help but smile at his jovial tone, before she moved to take the baby back from him.

“Manchester has plenty to recommend it,” she started, settling the baby against her shoulder, “but, there is something uniquely wonderful about Cranford.”

“I have found Cranford has some particular charms; though they are no less charming when viewed elsewhere.”

Mary laughed, and looked down at Ralph as she blushed, grateful that the boy was not yet old enough to fully understand their conversation. 

As if she had followed Mary’s thoughts, Mary’s stepmother chose that moment to make her presence known. “Mary! Could you please send Ralph back here for a moment?” She was not a great distance away and could easily have walked over to them, but clearly wanted to give them as much privacy as possible. Mary would have found it amusing if she was not worried others in the group would see what she was trying to do.

“We can join you – “

“Oh no! There is no need to trouble yourself, Mary, I think the shade agrees with Charlotte. Just send Ralph over to me; come along now, dear. What a fine day it is, Dr. Marshland,” she added, as Ralph ran to his mother. 

“Mrs. Smith,” he responded politely with a nod. “Excellent weather for berry picking.”

“Indeed,” she said with a smile, before making Ralph take his sister’s hand and quickly walking further away.

“I am sorry for her behaviour, Dr. Marshland, she is…” Mary paused with a sigh.

“Endlessly entertaining?” he offered.

“Intolerable.” 

Dr. Marshland chuckled heartily at her remark, and when Charlotte joined in Mary couldn’t resist a smile. 

“I think that is the last of our party,” Mary noted, spotting the newest arrivals out of the corner of her eye. Sure enough, everyone else appeared to be preparing to make their way further afield.

“It certainly is fine weather for berry picking. It will be a shame to miss it.”

“Oh. You will not be joining us?” Mary asked, trying to ignore the slight disappointment she felt at his acknowledgement. As loathsome as Mary found her stepmother’s matchmaking, Dr. Marshland’s presence would have meant a lack of other eligible bachelors thrown in her path. Not to mention the fact that he was cheerful, intelligent company. There needn’t be any other reason for her current displeasure. 

“I’m afraid not, I have some patients to attend to today.”

“I see. Do they reside nearby?”

Dr. Marshland paused, as if debating with himself, before he simply stated, “No, they do not.”

“Oh.” 

He cleared his throat before continuing, the only sure sign of his hesitation. “Miss Smith, I will be in Cranford next week. It is only a short trip, but I had wondered if I might call upon you during my visit.”

“I am afraid that is not possible,” Mary answered immediately, unthinking, and it was only when Dr. Marshland looked away, his almost permanent smile wholly absent, that she felt something light bloom in her chest. “I will not be there,” she finished.

When he met her eyes again at that, Mary saw something like hope in them and she wondered if perhaps she had been too harsh on them both in keeping her distance for so long.

“My father wrote the other day to say his business will keep him away longer than anticipated,” she explained, “so I will be remaining in Manchester for the next fortnight. However, you may call upon me here, if that is agreeable.”

“Indeed, I shall.” He smiled warmly at her, an expression Mary returned as kindly as she could with her stepmother no doubt observing their every gesture. 

“Well, I suppose you must visit your patients.”

“I suppose I must,” he agreed. Dr. Marshland took a step backwards, and glanced about as if looking for his friends, before remembering himself. “And how will I know where to call upon you in Manchester?”

“I will write to you, Dr. Marshland.”

“I look forward to it,” he grinned. He followed with a slight bow, before he walked back to his friends to take their leave. 

Mary waited until she was certain he would not hear before she looked at her baby sister and admitted quietly, “So do I.” 

“Mary, where is Dr. Marshland going? Surely you have not put him off already!”

Mary closed her eyes to stop herself from laughing at the sight of her stepmother already racing back towards her, with rest of the children and her friend Mrs. Barker in tow. It was clearly going to be a tiresome day but perhaps, she thought with a smile, the remainder of her time in Manchester would be decidedly more pleasant.


End file.
